SECOND STRATEGIC LONG RANGE PLAN WILL
EMPHASIZE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS
By Meg Holden & Adrienne Mattson-Perdue
Features Editor & Staff Writer

THE INCREASING HEAT OF THE
ATMOSPHERE MAY CAUSE MORE
AGGRESSIVE AND FREQUENT
STORMS

See "Irene" on page 6

This week online

By Karen Turner

See "Abroad" on page 7

NEWS

House and Senate bills may prohibit same sex marriage
By David Pferdekamper & James
Williamson
News Editor & Staff Writer

The North Carolina legislature
will convene on Monday, Sept. 12 to
consider Senate Bill 106 and House
Bill 777. The bills would make a
constitutional amendment to ban
same-sex marriage, an issue on the
ballot for the 2012 general election,
in addition to an amendment to only
legally recognize opposite-sex unions.
“It’s an issue for everybody and
will directly affect LGBTQA, civil

unions, and common law marriage,”
said Justin Shreve ’11, a hall director
and co-advisor of Pride. “North
Carolinians, regardless of identity
and sexual orientation, need to stand
up and fight for basic human rights.”
Opponents say that this legislation
will perpetuate inequality and
prolong regressive Southern policies.
“Part of Southern hospitality is
to live and let live and that social
contract is being broken,” said Visiting
Assistant Professor of Sociology

North Carolina residents in Charlotte ignore the rain to proSee "Legislation" on page 2 test the bills that are being reviewed in Senate and the House.

Some want to study animals in their native habitats.
Some want to practice a foreign language. Some just want
to get out of Greensboro for a semester.
Whatever their motivations, Guilford students love
taking advantage of the study abroad options available
through the school. Most students who have studied abroad
praise the experience as both intellectually and culturally
stimulating.
“Being able to live in community with another group of
people who were not from America helped me to grow as a
person,” said senior Kieran Brackbill, who studied abroad
in London, in an online interview. “It forced me to get
outside of my American customs a bit and learn new ways
of seeing the world.”
For others, the experience of studying abroad was
valuable but could have been improved.
“My experience studying with nine Guilford students
and no native Germans seriously limited my ability to
integrate into German society,” said senior Ryan Sanders,
who went to Munich with a Guilford-led program. “I think
it would be great if we had a program in Germany through
a university so we could experience a German education
and form friendships with Germans our age.”

Nancy Pierce/www.uuworld.org

The 2011 hurricane season kicked off
with its first major hurricane on Aug. 20,
causing widespread damage throughout
the Caribbean and the Atlantic Coast,
reaching up to eastern Canada.
Hurricane Irene started as a category
three hurricane, first hitting the Bahamas
on Aug. 24 and moving northward
throughout the East Coast and beyond,
reaching up to New York and Vermont.
According to The New York Times, 55
million people were affected, and transit
systems in New York City, Philadelphia,
and Washington D.C. were shut down.
Having left at least 44 people dead in
thirteen states, Irene is the most serious
hurricane to have occurred so far this year.
“Mother nature takes no prisoners,”
Visiting Assistant Professor of Political
Science Robert Duncan said.
The severity of Irene has raised a hotly
debated question; was Irene caused by
global warming?
“It’s hard to say,” said Associate
Professor of Geology David Dobson in an
email interview. “In the simplest terms,
heat is the fuel that drives hurricanes,
so having more heat in the atmosphere
and ocean means we’ll likely get either
more frequent or more intense storms (or
both). Global warming has affected and
will continue to affect hurricanes, but it is
impossible to assign an individual storm
to global warming.”
However, the debate rages on as those

Photo Courtesy of Liz Nicholson

By Charlotte Hudson
Staff Writer

stories

//

Review: Gail's
Consignment
Shop

By Terah Kelleher

Check out the newest
addition to the Community Page on page 4!

Check
online for
these Webexclusive
stories and
videos!

NEWS

2
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM

LEGISLATION

Guilford PRIDE raises awareness about proposed bills

Continued from page 1

Sharp Hall/Guilfordian

Martha Lang, who is also LGBTQA resource
coordinator and co-advisor of Pride.
The South has become an important arena
for debates about same-sex marriage, and
other LGBTQA-related issues.
“There are more openly gay people in
the South than ever before,” said Assistant
Professor of Political Science Maria Rosales.
“Additionally, gay people who live in the
South are more likely to have children than
gay people who live elsewhere in the U.S.,”
according to Rosales.
Though same-sex marriage is already
illegal in North Carolina, proponents of this
bill argue that a constitutional amendment is
still necessary.
“Legal developments from other states
require that this policy be in the constitution
in order to be fully effective,” House Majority
Leader Paul Stam told The Dispatch.
Other proponents stress that the bills do
not amend the constitution, but instead ask
the voters to decide.
“If you step back from the subject itself,
we are doing what we told the people we
were going to do,” said Representative Dale
Folwell, according to the Salisbury Post. “At
the end of the day, we are not changing the
constitution. We are pushing power to the
people that the constitution belongs to and
asking them to decide whether they want to
change it.”

“The problem with that is that it's
the majority voting on the rights of a
discriminated minority, and historically that
has not turned out to be a good idea,” said
senior and Vice President of Pride Nicole
Guilfoyle about Folwell's comments.
The bills will also have consequences
beyond the ability of same-sex couples to
marry.
“Consequences of the Senate bill are
profound on so many levels,” said Lang,
“Both tie up state funds and will ban
domestic partner benefits.”
Some also argue that the amendments
will have detrimental effects on the state’s
job markets. Some corporations settled in
North Carolina consider the bill a restraint to
employee benefits and rights.
“Major corporations, including locally
based Bank of America Corp., are increasingly
extending same-sex benefits as the pursuit
of talent trumps lingering prejudices over
sexual orientation,” Bank of America CEO
Hugh McColl told the Charlotte Tribune.
To help garner as much support as possible
in order to stop the bills, Pride has reacted
quickly. On Sept. 2, Pride began phone
bank training on calling North Carolina
constituents about the legislation.
“This is important because you’re reaching
out to people who don’t necessarily know
that this legislation is on the table right now,”
said Guilfoyle. “When you inform a lot of
people, then those people might contact their

(L-R) Hall Director Justin Shreve '10 takes notes while Pride President Kim Parmenter,
senior, leads members in a discussion of the bill Monday, September 5th.
senators and representatives.”
On Monday, Sept. 12, the Greensboro Vigil
for Equality will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the
Greensboro Courthouse Plaza at the corner
of West Market Street and West Washington
Street to protest the legislation. For those
interested, Pride is organizing carpooling to
the event. Those who are interested in the
carpool should email Pride at guilfordpride@
guilford.edu or Pride President Kim
Parmenter at parmenterkd@guilford.edu.

In addition to the Sept. 12 vigil, there will
be a rally outside of the state capitol on Sept.
13 to protest the legislation.
Lang, who will be speaking at the vigil,
hopes that opponents of the legislation can
calm the fears of the legislation’s supporters.
“If people could understand that it’s about
love and people coming together in a public
declaration of love, maybe that will make
it less scary to those people supporting the
bill,” said Lang.

Semester reboots with new technology across campus
By Victor Lopez
Staff Writer
As the summer winds to an
end, some items on campus are
finding new beginnings, such
as the many new technology
changes at the college.
Vice
President
of
Administration Jon Varnell said
that those changes included
computer deployments, yearly
replacements of Mac’s and PC’s,
new Xerox printers, a modified
wireless service, new door access
points, and a newly designed
website for the college.
These changes have been
celebrated by some and loathed
by others for myriad reasons.
“The printing portion of the
copy machine installation has
been frustrating, but is getting
better by the day,” said Varnell.
Following the summer’s end,
the leases on the copy machines
throughout campus were up
for renewal, and the old copy
machines had to be returned.
Director
of
Information
Technology and Services Teresa
Sanford said that, while the new
printers installed throughout
campus
provide
superior
print quality, there have been
complaints about the software
platform.
“Before, only students had
to swipe in order to print," said
Sanford. "Now all faculty and

staff — along with students
— have to swipe in order to
print, which some feel is a slow,
complicated process."
CCE students and staff, like
Rita Serkin Dean and Vice
President of the Center for
Continuing
Education,
feel
lukewarm and yet hopeful about
the new machines.
“My staff and student reaction
to the new printers is hardly
printable, although everyone
admits that when you finally get
your printing job it produces a

connect to the intranet and that
had to be solved,” said Sanford.
In a survey of 42 students, 43.9
percent rated the wireless system
good and 9.8 percent said very
good.
However, there were mixed
reactions to Guilford’s new
website, which, according to
President and Professor of
Political Science Kent Chabotar,
took a lot of work and input to
erect.
“A special subcommittee of
four trustees worked with the

Education Holly Wilson said
that
some
students
have
concerns about the website being
misleading.
“Some people are concerned
that the website is too polished,”
said Wilson. “And it is not a
good representation of what our
campus really looks like.”
Wilson said many Caucasian
students shared the concern
that the website makes the
campus look more diverse and
multicultural than it is.
Students such as junior Nicolas

"Of course at first it was a little tricky to find the email part, and logging
into GuilfordNet, but after becoming more familiar, I think the website is
great."
Jazlyn Gibbs, senior
nice copy,” said Serkin.
IT&S is working with the
contractor to make these changes
more convenient, according to
Sanford.
There was also a wireless
system upgrade at the end of the
spring semester.
“We had all kinds of problems
having Macs and other devices

college on it,” said Chabotar.
“It’s a work in progress with
more changes and improvements
coming. It’s not done yet. The
Board of Trustees like its more
direct approach to marketing the
college for admissions and fundraising and emphasis on Quaker
values and tradition.”
Director
of
Multicultural

Moore think the old website had a
more straightforward approach.
“They are doing too much
with the new site,” said Moore.
“There is just too much mess to
look at. The old site was easier to
navigate.”
80 percent polled by The
Guilfordian said that the website
is very clean-looking, but most

said that it is confusing and very
slow.
Senior Jazlyn Gibbs said that
after a spell, the website did not
seem daunting to navigate at all.
“I personally love the new
website,” said Gibbs. “Everything
is simple and easy to find. My
friends also like the website.
Of course at first it was a little
tricky to find the email part, and
logging into GuilfordNet, but
after becoming more familiar, I
think the website is great.”
Associate Vice President for
Communications and Marketing
Ty Buckner said that Guilford’s
new website supports the
marketing needs of the college.
“The website project included
not only a new home page but
new architecture and navigation
and new or re-purposed content
on the primary pages throughout
the site,” said Buckner. “As part
of reorganizing and streamlining
content, we developed Guilford
Net to contain information
relevant to campus users. The
main website is focused on future
students and other external
users.”
Both Buckner and Sanford
said that there would be constant
additions and improvements.
“It is important to know that
with technology it is not sit and
fix, it is consistently evolving
and we are evolving to meet
technology needs,” said Sanford.

NEWS

3
September 9, 2011

Excitement grows as Community Senate develops new agenda
By Bryan Dooley
Staff Writer

in his first official meeting,” said
senior and Inter-Club Council
Chair Elijah DaCosta.
Senate also announced that
they will use social media sites
like Facebook and Twitter to try
to draw more attention to their
meetings.
“Transparency
is
what
people want,” said junior and
Communications and Campus
Life Chair Paula Skandis.
Skandis did not think these
outlets were used enough to build
communication last year.
There is also a commitment to
getting clubs more involved.
“I would like to see clubs feel
more comfortable coming to
Senate,” said DaCosta. “Telling
us what they want, and asking
what they can do better to
reach continued standards of
excellence.”
DaCosta also commented on
possible challenges that will be
facing Community Senate this
year.
“Every year there are a lot of
people that feel that Community
Senate does not represent them,”
DaCosta said. “One of the
challenges we’ll have this year
is reaching out to everyone and

making sure they’re all heard,
because that is really hard.”
In spite of what challenges may
lie ahead, Director of Student
Leadership and Engagement Erin
Fox has high hopes that people
will feel like they have something
to share, get involved, and
participate in Senate this year.
“Everybody seems to have good
energy,” said Fox. “It seems like it
is going to be a very busy year, but
very positive.”

Photos by David Kinchen/Guilfordian

On Aug. 31, Community Senate
met for the first time this semester
to develop their agenda for the
year.
The meeting began with
senior and Clerk/President of
Community Senate Yahya Alazrak
explaining to newcomers how
Community Senate functioned.
Alazrak
stressed
Senate’s
commitment
to
community
participation this year.
Alazrak then allowed Steering
Committee and other students
in attendance to introduce
themselves.
Members from last year
explained ongoing projects such
as finalizing the social honor code
and modifying the Community
Center.
There is a great deal of
excitement within Senate over
the social honor code. The code
attempts to define what Guilford
College embodies as an institution
while
embracing
diversity,
equality, and peace among the
Guilford community.
“The social honor code is
something I care a lot about,” said

junior and Diversity Action Chair
Tim Leisman.
The only thing that makes
Leisman nervous about this year
is how the administration may
react to “students challenging the
status quo.”
He said that there is a question
of what will happen if the social
honor code conflicts with Campus
Life.
“As long as we stick to
representing the students, we
can’t go wrong,” Leisman said.
The meeting then welcomed
attendees to openly express any
further concerns. Some of these
concerns included cleaning up
the lake, campus safety, getting
a pool, and the wireless Internet
speed.
Those present were invited
to place dots next to their top
five concerns in a process termed
“dotmocracy." The items with the
most dots will help form Senate’s
agenda.
“I really liked the amount of
student input that we got and
I think we got a good pulse on
what people want to see get done
on this campus,” Alazrak said. “I
think that is fantastic.”
“Yahya did a good job clerking

committee is not to bring information
that I know about students who might
be in counseling,” said Terrell in an email
As violence on college campuses has interview. “My role is to serve as a consultant
grown, college administrations and to the committee on mental health issues.
counseling departments around the nation We take confidentiality seriously.”
have begun to focus on ways to prevent
The team looks out for patterns in
tragedies. Guilford College has recently student behavior that suggest something is
picked up this trend with the Threat wrong. They are not just hoping to identify
Assessment and Students Concerns Team.
students who may be a threat to themselves
For many years, members of the Campus or the campus community, but to intervene
Life office met weekly to review incident with students who may be having problems
reports.
before they become serious.
Early last year, this meeting was expanded
“Public Safety sometimes hears some
to include Barbara Boyette, the assistant things, faculty hear some things, we hear
academic dean for student support, and some things, RAs hear some things, but if
Gaither Terrell, director of the counseling we don’t all get together and put all the little
center.
pieces together it doesn’t ever necessarily
The
team
look like something
continued to grow
big,” said Agor. “But
after Ron Stowe,
when you have all the
director of public
pieces you can often
safety, organized a
see that it’s something
visit from Major Gene
more serious.”
Deisinger, director of
Some students are
threat management at
concerned the team
Virginia Tech. TASC
Paul Bersoff, senior
may not be effective.
was announced as a
“I
think
they
formal organization
should have student
this fall.
involvement in the
Currently, the team consists of Boyette, team,” said senior criminal justice and
Terrell, Stowe, CCE Admissions Counselor psychology major Paul Bersoff. “I think the
Rob Overman, Associate Dean for Campus students just have a better idea of what’s
Life Tammy Alt, Associate Dean for Campus going on on campus.”
Life Jennifer Agor, Director of Residence
Nonetheless, programs like TASC are
Life Susanna Westberg, and Director of available on nearly every college campus
Student Judicial Affairs Sandy Bowles.
in the country. The University of North
The group meets weekly to review Carolina at Greensboro has a similar
incident reports; they also consider students’ program, as does Fordham University in
performance in classes and hear concerns New York.
from professors.
“I definitely think it is something that
“The purpose of my presence on the every campus needs,” said Agor.
By Adrienne Mattson-Perdue
Staff Writer

"They should have student
involvement in the team."

-Senate misspelled "senators" in last
week's issue.
-Senate discussed transportation, forthcoming Community Center committee
-Went over student ideas and projects
from last week
Thinking about safety, sustainability, and Social Honor Code
(amongst other things) and how
to engage students.

Make a decision on bus passes in lieu
of HEAT, next Wednesday 7 p.m in
Boren Lounge

Have an idea or have a beautiful ancedote about Guilford life?
Email senate@guilford.edu

Ghana spring 2011
snapshot from abroad
To submit your photo from abroad, email gibianrh@guilford.edu
Dear beloved readers,
We all know that there are things on campus that you love and approve of, and things that you may not appreciate and want to change.
Therefore, we want to give you this space in The Guilfordian to "yay"
or "boo" anything on or around campus.

There will be a box in the Founders Lobby that you can anonymously
drop your critique or praise into. Plus, you can email us, guilfordian@guilford.edu; tweet us, @theGuilfordian; or Facebook us, www.
facebook.com/theguilfordian. Help us jump start this new part of our
community page by letting your voices be heard. We look forward to
hearing from you!

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new evidence reveals that
Chinese arms dealers sold
Muammar Gaddafi weaponry
this year, violating previous
sanctions. This evidence was

brought to light by Libya’s new
leadership, and Reuters reports
that Libya’s leaders may seek legal
and diplomatic retribution against
the suppliers and the Chinese
government. Foreign Minister
spokeswoman Jiang Yu stated
that the Chinese government
was unaware of the exchange of
weaponry and said that those
involved would be dealt with.
“The Chinese companies did not
sign arms trade contacts,
nor did they export
military items to
Libya,” she said,
according to Reuters.

SIERRA LEONE

SOMALIA

The

government of Sierra Leone is now
offering free medical services to thousands
of pregnant women and children, the New York

Times reports. By making health care available to the
poorest and most vulnerable, a significant number of
lives are being saved, according to Britain’s Department
for International Development, which is funding nearly
40 percent of the $35 million program. British health
economist Robert Yates testifies that the results have
thus far been “nothing short of spectacular,” and Sierra
Leon has seen a 61 percent decrease in mortality rates
during difficult pregnancies at health clinics.

Famine

conditions in Somalia have considerably
worsened, now threatening the lives of an
estimated 750,000 people in the next few months
if aid efforts are not increased, the New York

Times reports. In the Bay area of Somalia, it is reported
that almost 60 percent of children have been categorized
as severely malnourished. Inflaming the dire situation,
the Shabab, an Islamist militant group that has taken
over in Southern Somalia, has impeded aid efforts by
blocking out relief organizations and even stealing
donated food at gunpoint.

VIETNAM
There is the possibility of a major resurgence
of H5N1, better known as Avian Flu, in Asia,

according to a report from The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations from Aug. 29. Since its
first appearance in 2003, Avian Flu has killed 331 people
and infected a total of 565. Aside from human casualties,
400 million domestic poultry have been killed for fear of
carrying the disease, resulting in a worldwide economic
loss of approximately $20 billion. The UN urges poultry
producers to use extreme caution in the coming months.
“Wild birds may introduce the virus, but people's actions
in poultry production and marketing spread it,” said FAO
Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth.

Russia and China resist U.N. initiative for Syrian sanctions
By Colleen Gonzalez
Staff Writer
During
United
Nations
discussions
about
imposing
sanctions on Syria, both Russia and
China, two important countries on
the U.N. Security Council, refused
to show up to discuss the issue, the
Global Post reported.
Ever since mid-March of this
year, Syrian protestors have been in
full swing against their president,
Bashar al-Assad. The protests in
Syria are characterized as part of
the Arab Spring, a wave of protests
taking place in the Arab world.
Since the beginning of the
protests, thousands have been
detained and killed by the Assad
regime. According to Amnesty
International, 12,000 to 15,000
Syrian protestors are currently
being detained by the Syrian
government. While in detention,
many of these prisoners are
tortured, and as time passes the
abuse appears to be getting worse.
In addition to this figure, Amnesty

has reports of at least 1,800 Syria, and all three countries share the Heritage Foundation, agrees
protestors that have been killed.
relatively similar political systems that this fear may be a factor in
One example of this violence based on a central authority rather China’s opposition. In an interview
is seen in the attack on political than democracy.
with The Diplomat, Cheng said
cartoonist Ali Ferzat. According
Visiting Assistant Professor of that the Chinese are fearful that the
to the Global Post, Ferzat was Political Science Robert Duncan rebellious ideals of the Arab Spring
dragged from his vehicle and notes the significance of these ties. could spread toward their country.
had both of his hands broken
“Syria … is not a democratic According to Cheng, China would
so he would be unable to draw. system,” said Duncan. “Russia is rather prevent the rebellion than
The regime has also locked up not a democratic system. China is aid it further, and the Chinese are
other prominent people
more concerned with its
who were fighting for
political contracts being
democracy in order
honored than with the
to send a message to
human rights abuses of
discourage any more
the current government.
protests.
For its part, Russia
Due to the number
has expressed belief
of civilian casualties Robert Duncan, assistant professor of political science
that al-Assad should be
related
to
this
given the opportunity
revolution, the U.N.
to implement reforms
has stepped in to
before the U.N. begins
impose sanctions that will remove not a democratic system. … You taking action.
al-Assad from power. Although would expect them to not be eager
It seems unlikely that Russia
some U.N. members have been to support popular initiative in and China will budge on their
reluctant to follow through with another country because that could positions, based on reports from a
the proposal, Russia and China maybe make it happen in their meeting held on Sept. 1 between
have been the biggest opponents to country.”
Mikhail Bogdanov, deputy foreign
the initiative, Reuters reports. Both
Dean Cheng, a research fellow minister of foreign affairs of the
countries have trading ties with at the Asian Studies Center for Russian Federation, and Li Hui,

"The rebels represent democracy:
people fighting for the right to be free."

the ambassador of the People’s
Republic of China to Moscow.
According to Syrian Arab News
Agency, Bogdanov and Hui both
stated that Russia and China are
adamant about having no part of
the external interference that the
U.N. has proposed in Syria.
According to Duncan, Syria is
not a country that is rich with
oil like Libya or Saudi Arabia.
Due to oil abundance in the latter
countries, the government has
leverage to keep their population
under control. On the other
hand, countries like Syria that
have fewer natural resources are
more susceptible to uprisings.
Therefore, to keep control, the
Syrian government has been trying
to use authoritative violence and
intimidation to increase stability
and maintain control of the
country. The rebels and protestors
are the ones who are disrupting
this control, Duncan explained.
“The rebels represent democracy:
people fighting for the right to be
free,” Duncan said.

WORLD & NATION

6
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM

IRENE

Hurricane Irene sparks debate about climate change
Continued from page 1
who believe that Hurricane Irene
had nothing to do with climate
change defend their ground. In
an article on POLITICO.com, Eric
Blake, a specialist at the National
Hurricane Center, said that, "there's
nothing new about a hurricane hitting the Northeast."
Following up this statement,
Thomas R. Knutson, a federal researcher at the Geophysical Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory, said in a New
York Times article that, “the rising
trend of recent decades occurred
over too short a period to be sure it
was not a consequence of natural
variability, and statistics from earlier years are not reliable enough to
draw firm conclusions about any
long-term trend in hurricane intensities."

Furthermore, Jay Akasie of the
International Business Times argues
that there is no credible scientific
proof that rising ocean temperatures
have anything to do with the increasing number of serious tropical
storms.
While it is difficult to confirm
whether or not global warming did
specifically affect Irene, people on
both sides of the argument have
been forced to acknowledge the
wide-reaching impact that the storm
has had. Irene inflicted substantial
damage to the East Coast, leaving
millions of people without power
and many places shut down.
"The damage caused by natural
disasters is generally worse now
than it has been in the past, not because they are more intense but because population density, particularly in coastal regions, has grown

tremendously in the twentieth century,” said Dobson. “In that regard,
future disasters will have a bigger
human impact than past ones because more people will die and more
property will have been damaged.”
While he noted that some natural
disasters, such as volcano eruptions
and earthquakes, will not increase in
severity, he does suggest that climate
change will have a steady impact on
others.
“Climate change will probably
foster more frequent and stronger
natural disasters, and may increase
the range and frequency of tropical
diseases,” Dobson continued. “Also,
the rise in sea level from global
warming will have economic impact at the same or greater scale than
these short-term disasters, but the
changes will be very slow-moving."
Kyle Dell, associate professor of

political science, concurs.
"There is very little evidence of
political will in limiting the degree of
development of coastal areas in the
United States,” Dell said in an email
interview. “There are simply too
many incentives (economic, political,
aesthetic) that push for such development to be extended beyond what
would otherwise be reasonable if
driven solely by proactive, thoughtful planning that would take into account risk, environmental damage,
and resource management."
As for staying aware as a nation,
Dobson believes that it can be done.
"Awareness is easy, and I think
we achieved that to a good extent
with Irene,” Dobson said. “The relatively small death toll was achieved
because of proper evacuations and
warning.”
Dobson attributes the low death

toll to adequate preparation in the
wake of Irene and compares it to
the devastating consequences of less
proactive measures prior to Katrina.
“We could have had a much
smaller loss of human life in Katrina
had better evacuation plans been in
place and followed, and if our response following the disaster had
been better,” he said. “Strong federal
support of agencies like FEMA, and
staffing them with effective officials
trained in the field, will always help
reduce the impact of these disasters
and help people get back up and
running."
Duncan agrees.
“There’s not much we could do
to prevent (natural disasters),” said
Duncan. “People have to be prepared, and the government needs
to fund research … it’s the government’s job to keep people informed.”

Scientists treat three leukemia patients, with remarkable results
By Travis Linville
Staff Writer
Remember that scene from Jurassic
Park? The one where the T-Rex saves
everyone from the Velociraptors?
That scene is what a new cancer treatment is like: something from science fiction.
In a trial developed by scientists from the
University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson
Cancer Center and Perelman School of
Medicine, a strain of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was used to turn
white blood cells (specifically T-cells) into
blood-thirsty killers of cancer cells. Well,
they may not be blood-thirsty, but the
researchers are calling the cells “serial killers,” with each cell killing thousands of
tumor cells, according to Penn Medicine
News & Publications — and the T-cells are
able to self-replicate.
MSNBC reports that the study, 20 years
in the making, was not funded by the
National Cancer Institute or pharmaceutical companies. The trial was actually made
possible by grant money from a charity called the Alliance for Cancer Gene
Therapy.
Only three patients were treated in the
initial UPenn trial. All three suffered from
chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a
cancer in the blood and bone marrow. All
three patients lost at least two pounds of
tumor; the leukemia was eradicated in two
patients and reduced by 70 percent in the
third, according to MSNBC.
Cancer seems to be losing this fight. See
the T-Rex analogy? Two monstrous killers
going at each other with human lives at
stake? Guilford alumna Heather Cole ’04,
a forensic biology major, responds to the
analogy.
“No. I really do not think of it that
way since this kind of thing happens in
our bodies every day anyway,” said Cole
through email.
Sci-fi theories aside, these diseases are
undeniably serious.
The United Nations AIDS agency

Is it a coincidence that the words "T-cell" and "T-Rex" resemble
each other?
(UNAIDS) reports some 25 million deaths
attributed to HIV/AIDS worldwide since
discovery of the disease in 1981. The
National Cancer Institute estimated that
over 569,000 cancer-related deaths would

occur during 2010.
Senior Caroline Loftus, an international
studies and biology major, shadowed a
radiation oncologist (oncologists specialize in tumors and cancer) during a four-

week internship at Northeast Radiation
Oncology Center in Dunmore, Pa. She saw
various forms and levels of severity of the
cancer in patients being treated there.
“I felt like I was on sensory overload for
a month,” said Loftus regarding her experience. She remains skeptical about the
results of this particular trial but admits
that it might affect future cancer treatment.
“I believe there should be a few more
years of research and clinical trials,” Loftus
explained.
Penn Medicine News reports that the
HIV-derived vector (a vector transfers
genes or diseases from one cell to another)
targets specific cells. The only cells targeted have a protein called “CD19” which
is found in “CLL tumor cells and normal B-cells,” according to Penn Medicine
News.
Wait. Reread that “normal B-cells” part.
“B-cells are bone cells,” said Cole. “They
are a lymphocyte (white blood cell) …
one of our body’s natural defense mechanisms.”
However, Penn Medicine News claims
that clinical trials using the HIV vector
demonstrated the vector’s safety in 2003.
So, what would you do if faced with
this decision? On one hand, you have
chemotherapy, or you can try to wait for
a bone marrow transplant which presents a 20 percent mortality rate with a 50
percent chance of cure, according to Penn
Medicine News. On the other hand, you
have this experimental treatment: a step
into the unknown.
Some people must be choosing the
experimental treatment, based on UPenn’s
statements that it will admit a few more
patients as the trial reopens in the next one
to two months.
Although the initial trial shows promise, further research will be needed to test
the effectiveness of this treatment. Will it
prove to be safe? Will cancer cells adapt to
elude the modified T-cells? Is it a coincidence that the words “T-cell” and “T-Rex”
resemble each other? That last question
may or may not be addressed.

they take while abroad apply to their major,
minor, or general education requirements, so
they can have a great trip and still graduate
on time.
“Because I started planning during my
first year, I was able to arrange my schedule
around studying abroad,” said senior Nicole
Guilfoyle, who studied abroad in Hirakata,
Japan. “But, that might not happen in other
programs or for other majors, like the sciences.”
“In my experience, the best way to make
sure you graduate in four years is to take
courses for your major while you’re at

Creating more international awareness
in students is a key feature of the second
Strategic Long-Range Plan (SLRP II), according to former Director of Study Abroad Jim
Hood. This includes expanding Guilford’s
Study Abroad program options as well as the
number of international students on campus.
Another improvement which Daniel Diaz,
project assistant for Study Abroad, hopes to
see is an increase in the number of programs
Guilford offers.
“I would like to see the study abroad
office grow in terms of staff and in terms of
program options … especially in South and
Central America, Africa, and South Asia,”
Diaz said. “These are under-represented locations generally in study abroad, and I’d like
to see our office be part of the group of study
abroad offices reaching out to those destinations and to those cultures and people.”
According to Hood, offering a short term
in January or May could increase the number and variety of programs available at
Guilford.
“Some of the short-term options will be
‘study away’ options,” Hood said. “These
may be study trips run by faculty that don’t
involve traveling to another country, because
there are plenty of interesting things to study
here in the U.S.”
The short term, set to roll out in 2013,
could be a solution to many of the problems
students face in planning a trip abroad.
One of these problems is that for some students, spending an entire semester away
from Guilford is impractical.
Student-athletes are obligated to be at

Guilford during the season their sport is
played, and CCE students are often unable to
study abroad because of work commitments.
The short term is easier to schedule around
and may make it possible for more students
to go abroad.
“I hope … with a January term that we
will begin to organize enough short trips that
the adult population will start to go (abroad)
as well,” said Jack Zerbe, director of Study
Abroad.
It can also be challenging to fulfill graduation requirements at a different campus.
Students should ensure that the classes

David Petree heads sustainability movement on campus
By Victor Lopez
Staff Writer
Super-sized Post-It notes with items to be taken care
of in the name of sustainability riddle the office walls of
Guilford College’s new director of environmental sustainability, David Petree.
“My team and I stay pretty busy around here,” Petree
said. “Making sure this campus is environmentally sustainable is a challenge that I welcome.”
Petree is no stranger to North Carolina or Guilford. A
native of Rural Hall, N.C., Petree started working at the college fourteen years ago, but is new to the position of director
of environmental sustainability.
When asked what being the Director of Environmental
Sustainability means, Petree looked around at all of his to-do
lists and smiled.
“My task is to lead the sustainability effort and I’m
working with great people on the task,” said Petree. “Kent
Chabotar and Jon Varnell have really made sure that we are

able to make the grounds look as good as possible.”
Already, Guilford has taken significant strides to be a
good steward of the resources we use as a college community. Petree proudly invited me to his laptop to see the
sustainability section of the Guilford website.
“Right here, right now, we’re getting sustainability done,”
reads the web page. “Our students, faculty and staff are
making a real difference, with large and small sustainability projects that are showing concrete, measurable results.
We’re lowering our carbon footprint, saving money, and
creating lasting social change.”
Petree said that he and his team are constantly looking
for new ways to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions for
the college. He even works to make his home sustainable.
Petree and his wife have an extensive garden and rain water
collection system, along with wood-burning heat and highefficiency window units.
“We didn’t use a drop of city water the entire summer,”
said Petree. “And it was a long, dry, hot summer.”
Petree admitted that when he first came to Guilford there

Guilford and then fulfill your general education requirements while abroad,” Sanders
said. “In Munich, I could fulfill requirements
for my German and international studies
majors, but people might have problems
with other majors.”
Some students feel that they cannot study
abroad due to the cost. The short-term
option will cost less than a full semester, and
the Study Abroad office is exploring other
options, such as scholarships, to lower the
cost.
“Guilford is on the right track by trying to
make study abroad more affordable,” said
senior Rebecca Sutton, who studied abroad
in Montpellier, France. “My financial aid
didn’t apply to my semester in France, so the
cost was more than twice as much as going
on a Guilford-led program.”
There is a distinction between Guilfordled programs, which are led by Guilford
faculty and cost about the same as a semester at Guilford; Guilford-affiliated programs,
which are hosted through other colleges or
universities and may incur surcharges; and
outside programs, which are not associated
with Guilford at all and thus cost more.
Currently, Guilford students can study at
over 70 locations around the world through
22 different programs, including trips led
by faculty members to London, Munich,
Sienna, and other locations. As many as 100
students have gone abroad in previous years.
Unfortunately, the numbers were down to
88 last year, in part due to a canceled trip
to Mexico. Nevertheless, SLRP II and the
improvements to the Study Abroad program
will be beneficial for students — at home and
abroad.

were limited resources for bettering the grounds and making the college sustainable.
“It really wasn’t until Kent Chabotar came as president
that we were provided the resources to actually make a
concerted effort on grounds and facilities with regards to
sustainability,” said Petree.
Petree is excited to meet the challenge of keeping the college “green” as technologies become available and useful to
the college.
“As a college we are making big strides and developing
the college into an environmental friendly place to be,” said
Petree.
Just how is Guilford getting sustainability done? Petree
said the sustainability team has saved greenhouse gas emissions and made the college “green” in a variety of ways,
including:
• A production garden: Where many vegetables are
grown on our own grounds. The project has been in
progress for about three years and is now beginning to
yield vegetables for the campus.
• Re:cycles Bike Shop: Offers tune ups and general
maintenance to those who have bikes. Students get a
reduced price for maintenance and can rent a bike for
five dollars a day.
• RecycleMania: A program that has been going on for
three years. The friendly competition between colleges
shows how much the schools actually recycle.
• Green Dining Program: A series of changes implemented to create and foster a more sustainable dining
program. These include a more efficient automatic dishwasher, an organic-waste capture system, biodegradable napkins, eliminating trays, and the purchasing
of more local and organic foods. Guilford also collects
used cooking oil for conversion to biodiesel.
There are many more ways the college is promoting
sustainability. Visit www.guilford.edu and click on “Green
at Guilford” to see how the college is working for the environment.

FEATURES

8
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Exploring the relationship between Public Safety and students
By Charlotte Cloyd
Staff Writer
The line that people draw between safety and freedom is
blurry, especially for students on a college campus. Living
away from home for the first time and experiencing new
freedom makes judging what is and isn’t safe difficult in
some situations and circumstances. Knowing who to contact when faced with danger may not register instantly, at
which point it becomes necessary to have an organized unit
on campus who can both enforce and protect.
Enter Guilford College’s Department of Public Safety.
These men and women are here to ensure the safety of
everyone on campus.
But with 13 Public Safety officers on staff — only two
or three of whom are on duty at a any given time — it
becomes difficult to patrol the more than 300 acres of campus. Often, the safety of the students rests with individual
students acting responsibly and notifying Public Safety
when a student needs assistance. Dean of Students Aaron
Fetrow is most concerned about the open boundary of
campus.
“What really scares me are individuals we don’t know
who are on campus, folks who are not part of our community,” Fetrow said. “If you’re out there, be together and
report things.”
Ensuring that a cooperative relationship exists between
the students and Public Safety poses something of a problem. Not only does it need to be clear that students should

contact Public Safety when they need to, but students must
also understand that Public Safety officers have a duty to
enforce school policies.
“I think that the majority of Public Safety’s work is based
on protection, and any incriminating feelings that students
are having are the direct result of administrative policies,”
said sophomore Markus MacNamara.
Many students may agree with MacNamara on this
point, and yet Public Safety is still often cast in a negative
light because part of their duty includes documenting students for violating college policies.
“Public Safety does a good job of being present on campus, but at the same time they can come off as judgmental
and thus carry stereotypes with them, as we all tend to
do,” said junior Neisha Washington, resident advisor in
the North Apartments. “Public Safety should reach out to
the students more. They should seek to have a stronger
relationship with residents.”
Forging a strong relationship requires a communication
between students and Public Safety officers, which does
not currently exist. Director of Public Safety Ron Stowe
emphasized the importance of communication in creating a relationship between the Public Safety officers and
students.
“Safety on campus is a community issue, and we’re all
responsible for that,” said Stowe.
Part of keeping Guilford’s campus safe involves the
student body participating actively by making sure that
they practice safe behavior. There is no “Big Brother” entity

keeping a watch on the community, and the responsibility
of keeping the campus safe lies on the shoulders of a relationship between Public Safety and the faculty, the staff,
and the students of Guilford.
The intimidation factor by Public Safety officers is not
surprising, and for new students the seemingly everpresent red golf carts might induce fear. Sophomore and
Binford RA Faris El-Ali discussed his perspective of Public
Safety officers on campus.
“I feel like people need to recognize that they’re here to
help you, not to prosecute you,” El-Ali said.
Students must be willing to cooperate with Public Safety
officers in order to keep campus safe. As a recent graduate
and current employee at Guilford, Binford Hall Director
Justin Shreve ‘10 has worked closely behind the scenes
with students and campus safety.
“When I was a student here, I always felt protected, and
now moving into the Hall Director role I see the regulations and I see that people do really care about safety,”
Shreve said. “We need a cooperative relationship between
students and staff.”
Shreve is not alone in believing that, in order for the
system in place to be effective, interaction between the two
entities must be present, but communication will not solve
all of the safety issues at Guilford. Students need to be
aware of themselves, their friends, and their actions.
“My perspective on this is simple, and that is I would
love to guarantee that I could protect everyone,” Fetrow
said. “The best thing we can do is be cautious.”

Signing up for a hoppin' good time
“This event gets the word out about your
club or organization and what you do,” said
German Club President Kim Kleimeier. “You
“Sign up for German club!” “Hey, want to get to talk face-to-face with other students
sign up for fencing?”
and they get to ask questions. I’m glad we
On Aug. 31, Founders Lawn echoed with get to do this because it’s more personal this
the sounds of the annual Student Involvement way.”
and Employment Fair. Guilford College’s
For some students, the event also means
clubs and organizations came together to taking the next step and joining a club.
attract students to extra-curricular activities.
“This event is great because we get a lot
Guilford Film Society, the Greenleaf of new recruits, who we hope will come and
Review, and Greensboro Roller Derby were try out,” said Biohazard Ultimate Frisbee
among the various organizations that had Captain Ben Ardel. “The event was sucstations on Founders Lawn. Community cessful and fun. We’re a great bunch of
Senate even had a face painting station, people who are community-oriented and get
where you could turn your face into a piece involved as a team.”
of art.
The event featured over 35 clubs and orga“We try to get as many students as we can nizations and had a couple hundred people
out here to see what Guilford has to offer,” turn out to see what activities were being
said Steve Moran,
offered.
assistant director of
Most of the stastudent leadership
tions had long
and engagement.
lists of students
“We want stuthat signed up
dents,
especially
and showed interfirst-years, to see
est in the activihow awesome and
offered. Even
Erin Fox, director of student leadership and ties
diverse opportuniPresident
and
ties are on campus.”
engagement
Professor
of
In true Guilford
Political Science
fashion, the event
Kent
Chabotar
had a casual vibe that only Quakers could came to take a gander at what the students
provide. Students would go to stations of had to offer.
their choosing, ask a few questions, and sign
“By signing up to a club or organization,
up for the mailing list or just move on to the you are being connected to the campus comnext station after their conversation. More munity,” said Fox. “It inspires students both
importantly, this event stresses the need for individually and as a whole. Being a part of
students to get involved with Guilford and an organization gives students a more holisthe community.
tic experience at Guilford.”
“I’m very happy to see a lot of first-year
Overall, it was a hoppin’ good time, and
students at the event,” said Erin Fox, direc- many students will be joining new clubs and
tor of student leadership and engagement. activities.
“It’s important to find places to connect with
“This fair is a testament to our wonderful
Guilford and the campus community.”
students here at Guilford and how involved
For the clubs and organizations, this event they are outside of class,” said Moran. “It's
presents opportunities for first-years and all awesome to see students find new opporstudents.
tunities.”
By Ryan Gordy
Staff Writer

Photos by Brittany moore/Guilfordian

"It inspires students both
individually and as a whole."

Sankofa: a traveling AfricanAmerican history museum

(Right) Angela Jennings,
founder of Sankofa AfricanAmerican Museum on Wheels,
and Africana Community Coordinator Jada Drew welcome
students to explore the exhibit.

FORUM

9
September 9, 2011

TASC force jeopardizes student privacy

By Catherine Schurz
Staff Writer
Someone’s
watching
you. Staff and faculty
members of our community
have combined forces to
create the equivalent of a
spy
organization
with
the purpose of analyzing
students’ behavior and
deciphering who poses a
“threat” to our safety.
The newly established
Threat Assessment and
Students Concerns team,
or TASC force, consists of
Campus Life, Residence Life,
Public Safety, Counseling
Center, CCE, and Academic
Dean’s Office members.
Once a week, the force
meets to discuss each
student who has been
displaying
suspicious
behavior
or
excessive
distress. In addition to
talking about the student’s
demeanor, the group will
assess the best treatment for

that individual. A typical
approach, according to Vice
President of Student Affairs
and Dean of Students Aaron
Fetrow, might be to send an
RA to the student’s room
to personally inquire about
their feelings.
“It sounds like an
invasion of my privacy,”
said Sophomore Danielle
Cayne. “If I’m having a
bad day, that doesn’t mean
I need counseling or to be
talked about by the adults
on campus.”
A common perception
among
college
administrations is that
violent attacks by students
could be prevented with a
proactive approach.
“In all these cases that
you’ve heard about —
Virginia Tech, Arizona —
somebody said, ‘Yeah, we
had this suspicion about
that guy and we didn’t
know who to tell.’ He acted
crazy in class or his behavior
really shifted,” said Fetrow.
“So if a faculty member or a
staff member or somebody
working in Facilities has
contact with a student
and things are strange or
behaviors changed, they can
call this group, too.”
But what is the TASC

force’s criteria for acting
“crazy” and what constitutes
a “shift in behavior”?
The faculty and staff do
not necessarily have the
training to determine if we
pose a threat to ourselves or
others. There are moments
when we, as human beings,
experience shifts in mood
and behavior in reaction to
life events.
Director of the Counseling
Center Gaither Terrell is key
member of the force.
“My main role as a
member of the committee
is to bring the mental health
professional’s perspective
and to listen and advise the
committee about possible
next steps, such as arranging
to make help available for
someone in distress,” Terrell
said via an email interview.
But that raises another
concern — could this
initiative even be effective?
“I think that a large
percentage of us freshman
probably would not respond
in a way this group hopes
for when confronted about
personal issues,” said First
Year Matthew Carter. “I
just don’t think it would
work ... there are too many
variables among students
and situations.”

The
TASC
force’s
aforementioned rationales
for
assessing
and
approaching a student
do not seem to merit an
infringement
on
my
privacy, nor an invasion
of
my
personal
life.
Additionally, they seem to
violate the basic concept of
open communication that
Guilford College professes
to embody.
It seems to me that the
Guilford way of expressing
concern for a student would
be to simply approach them
as they leave your class in
a kind way. If a professor
asked me how I was doing or
noted I seemed to be acting
differently in class, I’d be
more inclined to respond
honestly than I would if
I were bombarded with
questions in my bedroom
by an RA that I barely know.
The
disconnect
lies
between the TASC force’s
back door judgments and
the students’ real need for
support. The more pertinent
danger here is not the
threat posed by distressed
students, but rather the
potential for distrust in the
Guilford staff and faculty
who are here to help us
most.

Senate requests community input, involvement

By Ellen Nicholas
Staff Writer
The first Community Senate
meeting, which was held on Aug. 31,
was an unusual one.
“A typical senate meeting has a
more predetermined agenda and
ideas,” said Yahya Alazrak, clerk/
president of the Senate. “No decisions
were made tonight. We just explained
things and were building up proposals
that we will explore in more depth
later. This was mainly to gather ideas,
research, and feedback from the
student body.”
The Boren Lounge in Founders Hall
filled with students and faculty alike
as the meeting was called to order.
All were encouraged to bring up any
issue, big or small, that they would
like to see the Senate discuss further
in the future.
Almost 30 topics were brought up

and recorded.
As a new transfer student, this was
the first time I got a comprehensive
view of what the student body wants
to improve, and what they value most
about Guilford.
To me, it was clear that the closeknit community is the most widely
cherished aspect of the Guilford
experience.
From fixing up the Community

All were encouraged to
bring up any issue, big or
small, that they would like
to see the senate discuss
further in the future.
Center, to reinstating the bonfires,
to forming an on-campus bike co-op
and a community appreciation day,
many of the issues raised came back
to enriching the community and
bringing people together.
Among the most dotted subjects
from the “dotmocracy” straw poll
was the issue of eliminating campus
bonfires.
“Bonfires are all about raw energy,

the kind that strips you down and
unmasks you, and with that you
have an atmosphere in which the
divide between the athletes and
non-athletes dissolves,” said senior
Bennett Christian. “It’s unfortunate
that sometimes, but rarely, people
aren’t capable of experiencing that
sensation and commit the kind of
violence which is now threatening the
bonfire tradition and the communal
spirit.”
The level of respect between
everyone at the meeting left me
feeling comfortable and proud to be
part of a community that values each
other’s opinions so highly.
Everyone who had a matter to
discuss was fairly and respectfully
heard, with much support in the form
of “Quaker hands” from the fellow
attendees. I hope that the Senate
can successfully propel some of these
ideas into action.
“I hope there will be really
positive relationships between other
organizations and the Senate,” said
Alazrak.
“We’ve had some high stress
relationships in the past," he added,
"and hopefully this year that stress
has left and things will run smoothly.”
If the first meeting is any indication,
the Community Senate has a busy and
fruitful year ahead of them.

By Sarah Welch
Staff Writer
The economy. Immigration. Health care. Social
Security. War. Abortion. Marriage. As Americans,
we want to know the presidential candidates’
stance on these topics. Running through all of
these topics is a common thread: what level of
involvement should the government have?
Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party,
R. Lee Wrights, believes in a less is more approach
when it comes to government. Wrights supports
both individual freedom and corporate freedom.
Individual freedom is a comforting thought;
corporate freedom often spurs anxiety. Of course, if
you hold stereotypical Republican opinions, these
thoughts would be reversed. Here lies another
voter commonalty.
As Associate Professor of Political Science Kyle
Dell said, “Americans hold inconsistent views.”
We do not want everyone, either individuals or
groups, to have freedom to make decisions. Nor do
we want everyone to be regulated.
This is the reason that the Libertarians’ views
often make us uncomfortable: their views are
consistent. Wrights’s consistency on issues is
confirmed by his slogan, “Stop all wars.” According
to www.2012.presidential-candidates.org, this
includes the wars against drugs, civil rights, guns,
alternative lifestyles, and our involvement in wars
abroad.
Wrights, a native North Carolinian, believes in
promoting peace by taking a “foreign policy of
non-intervention,” according to his official website,
wrights2012.com. He believes we need to transform
from being the “world’s ‘nosy neighbor’” into being
“the world’s ‘good neighbor'.” However, Wrights
does not state how a policy of non-intervention
will make America the “good neighbor.”
My interpretation is that by ending our
entanglement with wars abroad we will become
the “good neighbor.” Most support bringing
our military back to the U.S. and improving our
relations with other countries. However, I believe
that Wrights wants us to be the removed neighbor
because he also wants to end our support of other
countries. I’m not condemning this viewpoint, but,
as globalization expands, I find this an unrealistic
ideology.
By stopping “all wars” Wrights believes we can
boost the economy. Wars are costly and Wrights
believes they are ineffective. America spends too
many dollars on imprisoning people for nonviolent offenses, most notably drug crimes, and
Wrights aims to correct this.
Alright, I support Wrights’ views on marriage,
drugs, war, reproductive choices, the promotion of
peace, and immigration. What I question is what
many liberal-minded people would question: the
lack of regulation when it comes to businesses and
the environment.
A free market and capitalism could possibly work
if everyone was given equal opportunities and if
everyone began life with the same circumstances.
The truth is those with money are given more
opportunities and are given more power.
I am afraid that Wrights’ proposals would
increase the chances of monopolies developing and
that his proposals could increase the poverty gap.
As Dell stated in his interview, third parties
widen Americans’ perspective on politics, which
is healthy. On the other hand, we are apprehensive
about their “radical” views.

FORUM

10
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Staff Editorial

Letters to the
Editor hope to
facilitate future
conversations
No man is an island. And neither is this
news organization.
Community involvement is how and
why we do what we do. That is the reason
that The Guilfordian gives you two avenues
for getting involved — Letters to the Editor
and the comment sections on the website.
The purpose of our news organization is
a varied and fluctuating one. We inform. We
excite. We incite, at times. One purpose that
is not specific to The Guilfordian, but one
that we are constantly working towards, is
to start dialogues.
That is why we offer those two forums
for you to react — whether positively or
negatively — to our coverage.
Both forums are intended as spaces for
the community to address something that
was printed, to continue conversations.
So in the spirit of encouraging
conversation and of making every word in
our print edition as powerful and relevant
as possible, Letters to the Editor should be
responses or commentaries on previously
printed articles.
This small change was prompted by some
of the extraordinarily helpful letters we
received last year. One letter in particular
stuck out to me.
After running an article criticizing the
appropriateness of allowing ROTC cadets to
table at our historically non-violent Quaker
school, we received a letter from an ROTC
cadet who was also a Guilford student. In
this letter, the student pointed out that his
fellow ROTC cadets would quickly change
out of their uniforms after class so as not to
offend anyone.
The aspect of this letter that was most
valuable was that it showed that even
though we may have differing views
doesn’t mean we all can’t greatly appreciate
our Guilford community.
This is the kind of differing but respectful
dialogue that we hope to foster through
Letters to the Editor.
If you want an even more open and
immediate dialogue, then the comment
section at the bottom of every article on our
website is the best avenue for conversation.
These comment sections offer more than just
an immediate response, though. They offer
you the chance to have the back-and-forth
that will take your conversation to exciting
new places. That will hopefully take your
conversation to a place of understanding
for all involved parties.
Whichever form you choose, we hope
you converse with us, with the rest of the
community, and with anyone else that
cares, as often as possible. Even though you
may not have a hand at producing the news
every week, you are still an integral part
of the process. And we would love to hear
from you.

A prisoner is a person no matter what

By Emily Cooper

Staff Writer

Nestled in the East River,
between Queens and the
Bronx, is where Rikers Island
stands. At 413.17 acres large,
it is home to more than 12,000
prisoners. The only way to
access the island is by the
Francis R. Buono Memorial
Bridge, where ten prisons
are located. The island contains prisoners for an array of
offenses, and even housed Lil’
Wayne.
The penitentiary has multiple juvenile programs and
specific prisons for adolescents. People who are awaiting sentencing and cannot
afford bail are housed there.

The island is similar to a community. There are schools,
grocery stores, gyms, and
multiple other businesses.
The threat of Hurricane
Irene brought to light the
unfair treatment of the
Rikers Island prisoners. The
surrounding areas were all
advised to evacuate, yet there
was no evacuation plan for
the prisoners of Rikers.
In fact, there has never been
an evacuation plan for Rikers
Island. For a governmentrun facility with 12,000 some
residing prisoners, numerous
employees and working civilians, not having an evacuation plan is irresponsible and
embarrassing.
Though the storm did not
cause any damage to the prison, the underlying issue still
exists — the obvious lack of
respect for prisoners.
No matter the crime, a person does not deserve to be forgotten and have the government dismiss their lives. At
Rikers the majority of prisoners have not committed violent crimes; many prisoners

are mentally ill.
Even a person who has
been convicted of a crime
punishable by the death sentence does not deserve to die
in a natural disaster due to the
fact that the city decided their
lives are disposable. A person
who is on death row or is
critically injured or ill should
not be abandoned. They will
be sent to the hospital and
nursed back to health so they
can serve out their sentence
the way the court sentenced
it to be. This should be no
different.
Our country prides itself
on being humane and just. We
pride ourselves on the way
we treat our prisoners compared to the rest of the world.
Therefore it would seem hypocritical for one of the largest penitentiary systems in
the country to not have an
evacuation plan for a natural
disaster.
Clearly, New York State,
Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
and our government have
more important issues to
attend to. Maybe they are pre-

occupied with pressing issues
such as our failing economy,
which they seem to be doing
such a “spectacular” job with.
It seems rather silly that
someone could not take the
time out of their day to create
an evacuation plan — even
hire someone to make one.
When it comes down to it, a
person is a person, no matter
the mistakes they have made.
No one can say that they are
perfect, therefore who are we
to judge the mistakes of others?
Our society has made it
clear that the law is allowed
to be the judge and is the ultimate authority — the voice
of justice. We grow up being
told cliché sayings such as
“you learn from your mistakes,” “two rights don’t
make a wrong” and of course
the golden rule to “treat others the way you want to be
treated.”
Yet, the law rarely takes this
stance when it comes to crime
and everything becomes very
black and white.

Students seek to keep tradition ablaze

By James Williamson

Staff Writer

No more dancing or stomping around
warm flames and no more nightly jamborees that separate Guilford from surrounding colleges and universities. One
of Guilford’s major social assets is being
put out.
In a meeting last week, Campus Life
and Public Safety expressed its no tolerance policy on bonfires. Unless the student body keeps in check with Campus
Life policy, the pits will decay into nothing more than distant memories of once
renowned community gatherings.
“With bonfires gone, we’re losing one
of the most vital parts of the community,” said Rick Nallenweg.
Nallenweg, also known as “The
Fireman” or “Rickalous,” has been permanently banned from campus after
putting together the first bonfire this
semester.
As Nallenweg and others celebrated
the coming year that evening, Campus
Life approached. Like sitting ducks
ambushed in the dark, students were
cited for the bonfire on their first evening.
“Poured the keg on the fire, but the

alcohol doesn’t matter,” Nallenweg said.
Senior Bennett Christian stood
in disbelief as the coals turned from
red to black. Christian felt similarly
to Nallenweg. A tradition specific to
Guilford is being dissolved.
“Three of our four classes at Guilford
are familiar with bonfires,” said Christian
“How are freshmen going to get a real
introduction?”
One pit on campus has been designated for student use. Students coined
it the “Wal-Mart pit” because it lacks the
organic qualities that transcend the natural energies we feel from the woods’ pits.
However, the “Wal-Mart pit” is currently inoperable. Unless students
receive permission from Public Safety
and a permit from the Fire Department,
no one can use it. If caught without
proper credentials, the Fire Department
can charge a $500 fine.
Due to a regional fire ban issued by
the North Carolina Fire Service and general concerns regarding violence in the
woods, our tradition will be silenced.
Restricting bonfires is not new to
Guilford policy and Campus Life has set
a strict precedent so far.
As the drought climate forces the lake
to sulk into its own abyss and the creek
to shrivel into stones, Campus Life and
Public Safety are cautious for the sake of
student and residential safety.
“There has been an escalation of violence in the woods,” said Jen Agor, associate dean for campus life. “And should
a bonfire spread, our liability is huge.”
Due to several violent occurrences
over the last year and a regional drought,
Campus Life’s ban is set as permanent.
“The ban will be in perpetuity,” said
Aaron Fetrow, vice president for student

affairs and dean of students.
Such inevitable forces have quashed
the student body, making them feel all
the more socially clamped.
Several first years who attempted to
visit Nallenweg’s bonfire were aggravated as they walked the white pebble trail
to find Campus Life and Hall Directors
scribbling names on small note pads.
“I was pissed,” said first-year Olivia
Tibbs. Later that week she also sought
out the guitar-plucking music that emanated from the North Apartments. Past
quiet hours, she left in fear of a possible
citation for just being there.
These two examples indicate a need
for transparency between Campus Life
and the student body.
We have done it before. Even a former
student, Adam Pearman ’09, created a
Community Senate title known as the
“Sheriff.”
Amid the party atmosphere, the Sheriff
would have reported to Campus Life,
Public Safety, and those like Nallenweg,
Tibbs, or the guitar-pluckers. He helped
both sides of the situation to aid in any
communication gaps.
“I made an effort to resolve a disconnect that began to grow between the
students and Campus Life and Public
Safety,” said Pearman. “I was a grassroots liaison so to speak. Most people
were responsive to a freewheeling student telling them to quiet down or disperse.”
The Sheriff also attended Judicial
Affairs meetings, collaborated with
Community Senate, and helped reform
various sections of the handbook.
“Nobody else picked up that title after
me,” Pearman said. “Seems like there’s
a call to action for the next generation.”

SPORTS

11
September 9, 2011

Volleyball team emphasizes team chemistry, sets new goals

By Rory Molleda & Millie Carter
Staff Writers
The women’s volleyball team is hoping
to charge into the season with returning
players and talented incoming first-years,
to improve their ODAC finish from last
year.
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC) ranks Guilford sixth in the preseason poll, tied with Bridgewater College.
Their previous season ended with a 5-5
conference record and sixth place finish
(16-13 overall record), but the team and
coaching staff have high hopes that camaraderie and trust will unify the team and
make for a great season.
Concerned mainly with the loss of
Courtney Kozar, Brittany Freeman and
Traci Teague, Guilford will be looking
for new attackers to pass to, following the
departure of their top three scorers from
2010.

“Losing those three, and then seeing team’s leaders, will express that presence.
what we have coming back, it is very
“If we achieve that team unity and are
realistic”, said Head Coach Emily Gann. able to successfully play together, every“Anyone can win the ODAC but a realistic thing else will fall into place,” said Phillips.
goal to start with would be to better than “We are constantly getting better and workwhat we were last year.”
ing hard towards ridding ourselves of the
Team dynamics play a very important mental and individual mistakes so they are
role in perfornot being
mance on the
made durcourt. If any
ing games.”
given team
Another
does not have
obstacle the
trust between
Quakers
Taylor Phillips, Senior
players they
may
face
cannot realis merging
istically hope
together
to have a winning season. With team chem- experience on the court with new talent.
istry, the Quakers can pull together and Incoming first-years, although talented,
improve on their accomplishments of last may lack the experience required of fast
season.
paced, ultra-competitive collegiate level
In order to realize their goals, leader- matches.
ship has to be present on and off the court.
“We gained some quality hitters that
This year, Senior Taylor Phillips, one of the will really benefit us offensively,” said

" We are constantly getting better..."

sophomore Malikah French. “Michaela
(Wall)’s blocking abilities will be very helpful while Morgan (McKinnon) and Brittany
(DeCesare) are both adding to the defensive aspect.”
It is only a matter of time before they are
fully acclimated to the speed and pressure
that comes with conference games.
“I believe they are ready to carry the
pressure that may be put on them,” Phillips
says, “and I am looking forward to seeing
their growth throughout the year.”
Despite having to overcome the loss of
Kozar, Freeman and Teague, Coach Gann is
hopeful for the season. Gann realizes that a
competitive finish in the conference will be
no easy feat, but is sure her team is ready
for the challenge.
“It’s going to be a battle,” said Gann.
“Anybody can win on any given day, and
that is the mentality I’m trying to help this
team believe in.” Competitive collegiatelevel matches.

Women's rugby club builds strength and friendship
By Natalie Sutton
Staff Writer
On the fields where the women’s
rugby team practices, there is a
sense of both intense resilience and
friendly laughter. One thing that
makes the Guilford College women’s rugby team so unique is their
combination of tough-yet-amiable
attitudes.
Concerning the tough aspect of
the women’s rugby team, junior
Hannah Fillingim, the “fitness captain,” ensures that the team works
out at the gym together on a weekly basis. Also, she leads the girls
on 12-minute interval runs before
practice. Their practice, which consists of running lines while passing
the ball, doing drills, and scrimmaging, is anything but easy.
"It’s a very physical sport and
there’s high risk of injury,” said
Fillingim. “We play for 80 minutes.
You have to have good endurance.
You have to have speed. It’s a really
challenging sport but it’s rewarding.”
Steven Moran, assistant director
of student leadership and engagement, is faculty advisor for the
women’s rugby team. He understands the time and energy invest-

ed into the fitness aspect of the
sport.
“They coach themselves and
bring in trainers to work with them
on strength and conditioning,” said
Moran. “Sometimes they bring in a
coach from a semi-professional area
team to work with them.”
Although it is a very high contact
sport, sophomore Emily Morazán is
reassuring while encouraging other
girls to join the team.
“We would love to have anyone,
any size; you’re not going to die,”
said Morazán. “We have a really
amazing team. I love all the girls
here.”
As implied by Morazán’s statement, friendship among the players
is a huge part of women’s rugby.
Sophomore Kelsey Worthy, who has
never attended a women’s rugby
match at Guilford, knew girls in her
hall last year that joined the team
and immediately felt welcomed.
“Although I’ve never personally been involved with the sport,
I always got the idea that the women’s rugby team is a very supportive community,” said Worthy.
“I would always hear about how
easily all the girls bonded.”
Another huge part of the women’s rugby team is the ease with

which the team shifts from annihilating one another to becoming
friends.
Junior Peach McCarty, team captain, discussed her favorite part of
the game.
“We play against a team and try
to kill each other on the field, but
then we meet up afterwards and
sing songs and have fun together,”
said McCarty. “It’s totally this social
thing. In other sports, you come
with enemies; you hate the other
team. But with (women’s rugby) it’s
like, ‘Oh, yeah. That team is really
fun to socialize with; they’re going
to kill us on the field, but they’re
really fun.’”
Not only are the women rugby
players friendly with opposing
teams, but they’re close with the
Guilford men’s rugby team as well.
“We’re working with the boys
this year more,” said Morazán.
“There’s a lot more cohesion
between the two teams. It should
be a good season. There’s been lots
of improvement for both teams.”
Morazán, who manages the
financial side of the sport, is not
the only team member who values
having a close relationship with the
men rugby players.
“We have a lot of camaraderie

with the men’s rugby team,” said
McCarty. “They help us out when
we need it. Also, we socialize with
the guys all the time; it’s really
fun.”
Moran, who has been the staff
advisor since September 2010,
was asked to choose one word to
describe the women’s rugby team.
Without hesitation, he chose “awesome.”
“The work they do to put together matches and organize practices,
and the time and energy they put

into the sport is just awesome," said
Moran. "They are fantastic and a
ton of fun. They really work hard to
represent the college well.”
As for the team’s future, the captain has big plans ahead filled with
lots of tackling and ruffles.
“This year during Serendipity, I
hope to come out and play rugby
while wearing prom dresses,” said
McCarty. “It wouldn’t be anything
official, just a friendly game of
rugby full of tackling people in
prom dresses.”

Photos by Sharp Hall/Guilfordian

(Above) Hannah Fillingim, junior, toughs it out as she gets tackled during
a drill. The women's rugby team practices six hours a week. (Left) Hannah
Kennedy '11 gives pointers to Cappa Cheatham during a scrum.

SPORTS

12
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM

Guilford senior athletes cherish final seasons
By Renee Leach
Staff Writer
It is 5:00 p.m. on a temperate
Friday evening, and as the
football team trickles out of the
gates of Armfield Stadium, the
women’s soccer team begins to
congregate on the sideline ready
to have their turn at practicing
on the turf.
Today the team is fresh from
the previous night’s victory
over Meredith College, which
ended in a winning point for
Guilford College after being tied
in a stalemate for a majority of
the game. Player Rachel Harmen
believes this auspicious point is
a “good omen” for the rest of the
season.
The grind of the season,
however, will be the last leg
of Harmen’s soccer career at
Guilford. Even though the team
has an intimidating eighteen
matches looming in the upcoming
fall, these games will be the

graduating seniors last few.
The athletic lifestyle can define
a student’s college experiences,
from how to schedule their time
to which friends they make.
“You literally depend on

who they are, that’s what they
do,” said Bill Cason, head coach
for cross country and track and
field.
He estimates that his runners
average 60 to 80 miles a week

their team?
“With the seniors last year and
the year before that, I would say
… there’s more connection with
heart, desire, determination on
the field as well as off the field.”

“With the seniors last year and the year before that, I would say …
there’s more connection with heart, desire, determination on the field as
well as off the field.”
Morgan Andrews, senior softball player
everyone,” said Harman of her
teammates.
The demanding nature is
evident in other sports as well,
such as cross country.
“For the kids that run, that’s

for men and 30 to 50 miles for
women. They also train yearround.
So how does a college athlete
approach the inevitable dilemma
of having to eventually leave

said Morgan Andrews, senior
softball player, who is entering
her fourth and final year playing
at Guilford.
Andrews hopes to one day
coach the sport using what she

has gained in the entirety of her
athletic experience.
“I wouldn’t take anything back.
I give it everything that I have
all the time. I wouldn’t change
anything, even the mistakes.
They make you stronger," said
Andrews
“When I was a senior I tried to
develop those friendships when
I could,” said former club rugby
player Bryce Bjornson ‘10.
Instead of being severed from
the team and the sport when he
graduated, he now assists the
team and offers experience as a
way of passing the torch.
“The brotherhood continually
evolves, said Bjornson.”
Moving on is inevitable. Eric
Lewis, women’s soccer coach, has
seen players come and go for
the ten years he has coached at
Guilford.
“They all know it’s going to
end,” he said. “Our job is to
get them here, and graduate, and
grow as people.”

Quakers dominate the Pride in 15th annual Soup Bowl
By Zachary Morgan
Sports Editor
The old mantra “a win is a win” is used to teach and
also to keep a team grounded, but when that team has not
tasted the thrill of victory in more than 10 games, that win
means much more.
On Sept. 3 Jamieson Stadium played host to the fifteenth
annual Gate City Soup Bowl. On a 90-degree afternoon
that saw 1,100 fans shading themselves from the sun with
umbrellas, the temperature on the field was even hotter.
Cheers of support bellowed throughout the old stadium as
the Quakers took center stage and grabbed their first win
of the season, 27-7, over Greensboro College.
As both teams experienced first game jitters, and tried
to feel out the opponent, the first quarter ended just as it
began: scoreless. As the second quarter started, the pace
picked up and the teams started scoring.
“Guilford College came ready to play today, and we did
not, and it showed,” said Greensboro College head coach
Dr. Randy Hunt. “They are a well coached bunch. A couple
of key plays made the difference today, but again, I could
tell they were ready to play.”
First-year running back Josh Williams capped off a fiveplay drive by powering his way into the end zone for the

first score of the game, with 7:20 remaining in the first half.
With a quick snap of the wrist, sophomore quarterback
Zac Halbert connected with junior wide receiver Ben King.
King did the rest, as he ran in for the 69-yard score, building the lead to 14-0 just before halftime.
The Quakers picked up where they left off as the third
quarter began. At the 5:40 mark of the third quarter, King
caught the football and 41 yards later found himself in the
end zone with his second touchdown.
The Quakers scored once more as Halbert utilized a
pump fake that froze the Storm defense which allowed
sophomorewide receiver Lawrence Blake to slip behind
the players en route to a 40 yard touchdown and a final
score of 27-7.
“Wonderful game,” said Waldon Hinshaw ‘81. “After
last year’s winless season, this was a great win for
Guilford.”
“This was a great win and the first for me in a college
experience,” said defensive backs coach Marty Collinson.
“It was a total team effort. We got rolling there in the second quarter and things came together. It is wonderful to
see the domination on both sides of the ball. I am so proud
of our men.”
Besides winning the game, the Quakers won the canned
food drive, which collected 6,398 cans of food —1,100 from

the football team alone — and returned all Soup Bowl
honors back to Guilford College. Guilford now leads the
Soup Bowl series 8-7.
A victory should also be noted for the Greensboro
Urban Ministry and the Second Harvest Food Bank as they
used the cans collected to help families that are in need.
Coach Rusiewicz’s stamp of confidence and discipline
is all over the team, and the fans witnessed this in-game.
“Coach Rusiewicz seems to really have made a very
positive impact on the kids and it shows,” said game
attendee Tammi Hinshaw. “Education is being stressed
in the classroom and discipline on the field. Great, great
win."
“This is an unbelievable win,” said head football coach
Christopher Rusiewicz. “It has not set in to me yet. I am
surprised I have not teared up yet. It was a great job from
our coaches to our players. We had some issues with
cramping, which you expect in this heat, but nothing
major, so we are still healthy. Now we begin preparing for
Methodist.”
Being focused and not resting on their laurels seem to be
the ideology taught to the Quaker football team.
The determination shown by Rusiewicz was poured out
onto the field Saturday afternoon. But it’s a long season.
After all, a win is still just a win.

Photos by Zachary Morgan/Guilfordian

The Quaker defense halts the Pride's advances downfield in their 27-7 win against Greensboro
College on Sept. 3. Both the defense and offense contributed to the first win of the season.